Giving up caffeine - is there any point? Only a few hours in and my head REALLY hurts!

[bintofbohemia]

I have actually cracked and now had a cup of tea because I'm struggling to see the point of binning caffeine entirely.

Am having a nice healthy week to make up for a week of not so healthy eating and living and thought binning caffeine (as well as wheat and dairy) for a week would make me feel a bit more perky. But today I feel like the dead. I have done this in the past and have been alright after a few days, but not sure the school holidays stuck in with the kids is a good time to go through withdrawals!

Any thoughts, is it worth it?

Yes it's definitely worth it! I gave up ONE cup of coffee a day and had a foul headache for a day but then the weight started dropping off me and i felt amazing

Really? Ok, if the weight drops off that's got to be good. Does it have to be cold turkey do you think? I probably drink about 4 cups of tea at the moment - have had 1 today. Am trying to switch to decaff ultimately.

Any idea why caffeine interferes with weight loss?

The headache is standard withdrawal - it will go.

Caffeine interferes with glucose metabolism and energy - and that buggers around with your weight.

Drink lots of water (I mean lots) and it might help with the headache.

-arrested by the weight loss info----

please tell all

doesn't have to be cold turkey. Why not have just one cup in the morning? Then cut that out.

I should be doing this too...

Hmmm - I should def be drinking more water.

I've sort of made up this detox (well, I don't really believe in detoxes - it's more of a very healthy week) and wondering if there's anything else I should include/exclude for maximum results? Mainly just want to get some really good nourishment and boost my energy levels - but a bit of weight loss wouldn't hurt!

Oh, I don't want to face this...I really have to give up caffeine, and I don't want to!! But, the weight loss thing is good.

I'm doing a healthy thing, too bint...hoping it will stick for long term: giving up refined sugar and flour. So, lots of veg, fruit, protein and a little bit of 'good carbs'. I feel fantastic so far, and have dropped a little weight. The best part is that I don't get starving hungry anymore, and feel pretty energetic on a lot less food.
I've lost that 'afternoon slump'...I feel pretty great all day. Caffeine is the last thing to conquer...I just love my coffee so much!

coffee has become such a hab it for me but I want to shift some weight and so it sounds doubly good to give up coffee.

Last time I got the most horrendous head-aches and even weird shaking legs - I felt like such a junkie.

I get the afternoon slump too. What's this about giving up flour?

Any refined flour(like white bread)...it's just junk...no nutritional value at all. Wholemeal is better...good carb, releases energy slowly.

I started getting anxiety and palpatations and noticed a connection with caffeine. I decided to give it up. I would have a headache and then a migraine. The shakes.

To make the process more bearable I mixed decaffeinated coffee with fully caffeinated coffee and gradually adjusted the proportions until there was no caffeine. It took three months.

so flour is ok if it is wholemeal? I eat wholemeal bread anyway not white but I suppose my wafer thin white crackers would be out then

I should really give up the coffee. Will try to get down to two tomorrow morning.

It just depends, ZZZen...I've been striving for healthier eating, so decided to give this a try...just a bit of 'clean' eating, so it's not a diet, per se (though I guess it could be classed as a low carb thing). I've been gradually cutting out processed food for a few years now, so I guess flour/sugar was the last to go (I resisted!! I love white toast and milk chocolate! ) So, it may not work for everyone.

I gave up my afternoon cup of tea (I have decaf tea instead), but will start trying to cut my coffee down tomorrow. The problem is that I LOVE coffee...the taste, the smell of it brewing...the whole thing. It makes me sad to give up!

is it ok to take aspirin for the withdrawal headaches?

well done Eve, I try to live more healthier, I used to be so super fit and healthy before dc....

Now I cook

love to see the link between caffeine and weight loss. Never noticed it myself

if you google "coffee weight loss" half the articles are how it helps you lose weight, the other half how it hinders. go figure!

I am so addicted to coffee - I'm down to mornings only but the thought of not having any

keeping an eye on this with interest

give it up mojo, give it up

I've actually got some ground decaff coffee which tastes exactly like the real thing. I might get on it. Doesn't help with the withdrawals though, which are very real!

Am in two minds as to whether I should eat eggs whilst on this health kick. I don't do cow's milk generally anyway but I do sometimes eat cheese, again, not sure whether to swerve it for the week? I probably should, I guess...

I gave up caffeine a few years back when we were TTC and I always thought that it had no effect on me as I could drink a cup of tea at bed time and not have it keep me awake like it does DH. It was only once I'd given it up that I realised it had a big effect on my PMS symptoms and anxiety levels. Now I have no PMT at all and if I have just one 'proper' cup of tea I get jittery and anxious.

Once you get used to the de-caff it is just like having a proper coffee/tea. I did it cold turkey from having 7 cups of tea a day and after a few days noticed a change.

Good luck! [amile]

bint eggs are good for you...low fat, high protein, keeps you full longer. I've been enjoying lots of egg omlettes with reduced fat cheddar and veggies...if I eat that for lunch, I don't start to get hungry again until tea time. Good stuff!!

I've stocked up on decaf tea...hoping that it curbs my appetite for coffee...going to take it slow and see how it goes.

ZZZZen I'm a lot healthier now that I have DCs and live in England...America is so rife with crap food, my diet has improved unbelievably since I've lived in the UK. I cook from scratch now...something I rarely ever did in the US!!

Weirdly i can now have an occasional decaff ground coffee and it speeds up my metabolic rate.ZZen I think that even the best organic whole wheat bread is not good.

Wheat makes DH angry ,tired etc and constipates me, but spelt or kamut or rye is fine. See the slimmers thread on Isabel los Rios.

DH and I gave up caffeine a couple of weeks ago. I found last week hard going, sluggish, low energy, headaches, DH was the same but we kept going.

I haven't noticed any weight loss but my sleeping is soooooooooo much better. I hadn't really realised it was much of a problem but I now fall asleep at night and do not wake up til morning whereas before my nights were made up of a series of short naps.

im in the process of giving up caffeine so i have a few caffine free month before TTC

i am now down to one cup of (week and milky) tea each morning

i like tick tock tea and from october will be caffein free

This is interesting! Might get some decaff earl grey, that's my caffeinated drink of choice.